Carnethy Night
Runs |
| Every
so often, after the clocks change and until
there is light in the sky again, the Wednesday
evening training run is changed for a night
run - sometimes themed. Also starting at
7pm the runs are in different locations
around Edinburgh, with a convivial meal
afterwards in a convenient hostelry. Maps of social runs, training runs and journey runs can be found on the training runs map page here and some reports are to be found on the reports page |
| Previous Night Runs: |
| 13th
February 2014 Not the C5 Recce Night Run   With the rest of the UK battered by storms and floods, and with memories of last year's blizzard on the run, it turned out to be a relatively benign and pleasant jaunt over Turnhouse and Carnethy. Willie almost blotted his copybook by missing the promised scree run but we did find it and filled our shoes with gravel, to enhance the boggy return to Flotterstone. A few marks lost at the pub for salty soup and dry bread but my neighbour's chips were very good and the aromas of the various meals were very enticing. Good beer as well and the lovely glowing stove to thaw out in front of. Now, who had the Scampi? According to the pub one meal wasn't paid for and Helen is now out of pocket! Digby |
15th
January 2014 |
| 18th
Dec 2013 Infamous Xmas Pub Run What happened on the Christmas Pub Run stays on the Christmas Pub Run. There are pictures somewhere (try Facebook). No one has written a report on it. We should be thankful. Meanwhile until that person, let's call him/her for the sake of argument Nick, does pen something, here is a report of the Westies pub run. It's a bit shorter but it still looks like us in the photographs. |
| 28th
November 2013 Aberlady night run  A beautiful night of clear views and starry skies. A longish trot along the dune paths of East Lothian with a little navigational help from locals Karen and Dave Meikle. Always in sight a bright light near the horizon - not Venus this time. Graham's nifty night sky phone app showed it to be Jupiter. Helen was more basically apprised of the existence of the Milky Way, her focus up to now had been downward on the minutiae of viruses. Reaching the farthest extent in a small & cosy wood we turned back along the beach with stellar views of the Fife coast. 'Murder Hill', the steep sand ascent used for training by the Scotland Rugby team has maybe been overused. With local knowledge we ascended left to go right and had a view of Micheal scrabbling away trying to get up the eroded near vertical pipe of the old route. Just about here my right leg decided enough was enough, and the left could jolly well do all the work. A couple of miles limping after the disappearing lights of the group and we were back. Off to Ducks of Kilspindie for quite a good pint and food, where we discovered Patricia, who having turned up late and missed us, had a nice short run and a pleasant wait in the bar. Surprisingly my traditional soup (pretty but lukewarm) didn't come with a crusty oven warmed roll. After a request for bread the resulting steaming microwaved from frozen offering was, lets say, puckish. I won't mention Helen's strangely sauced peas. Digby |
| 7th
November 2013 Night run - Bonaly    Bit of strange night run for the first one this winter. Arriving a bit early I was confused by the large group already gathered and setting off. Not us. A group of cyclists was confused by the question 'are you Carnethy?' Not us. Well it was dark. Finally at the last minute the mob arrived. Bill having measured the current flow in his head torch at some number of milliamps set off up the track to find out if that meant he'd be stranded in pitch dark, a preparation for orienteering at Craigmillar. The rest of us set off in somewhat uncoordinated fashion. At Bonaly reservoir dam we left Helen, who was going to meet up with Nick to set up the fireworks. Meanwhile Nick was making his way to Torduff reservoir to set up the fireworks. Don't ask - I don't know. After Capelaw we took the track down into the heart of the Pentlands. The sky cleared and we had a perfect night of stars and the sight of multiple lights as various bikers, walkers and runners criss crossed the hills. I fell down 3 holes. Back up Harbour hill then across to Capelaw again which the fast runners reascended and we traversed. We met up again with Helen who had kept warm on her lonely vigil by doing hill reps, though as ever she was far from downhearted. Hoping to meet Nick coming up the path we went down it, then accidentally headed to Torduff to add a mile or two, where we were greeted by a splendid firework display. With perfect timing the rain started as we reached the car park, thought the cyclists might not see it quite that way. The night was rounded off at Dantes with very good soup & pizza. What fun! I'm sure we'll get the hang of these night run thingies. Digby |
13th
March 2013 |
| 13th
February 2013 Not The Carnethy 5 Recce Night Run    16 hardy souls (suckers!) and Cody turned up at Flotterstone on a foul night. We set off in very wet conditions and battered our way up a melting Turnhouse. The deep morning snow had turned into rivers as the thaw had set in. The wind was battering us on the summit. Jim took the fast group - himself! - set off last and finished first. Carnethy had lots more snow and was very icy underfoot in places but we all made it up safely only to be hit by a hurricane whiteout at the top as we tried to find the scree descent route. Once back on course we hurtled down to the gate at Charlie's Loup where we checked the padlock was working (so it can be opened on Saturday). Then it was back over the tussocks and along a new burn and back to an almost benign car park. 8 of us and Cody then dried out in front the fire in in the bar. Gordon Unofficial nite run report: bloody hellish. Felt like a greetin' girl and was hallucinating about warmth... Oh, and could have died on top of Carnethy... Thanks to wonderful Michael Wilkinson for being the perfect gentleman. NEVER again. Going to give up running and take up drinking to excess! Mandy Calder |
| 16th
January 2013 All Change at The Swanston Night Run       It was all change at the Swanston Night Run last night, the first change was venue, Swanston Golf Club was shut so we moved the Start to "The Steading". The next change was organiser, with Gordon injured he had to hand over the organisation to me, (he was cut up about it), at least he booked the meal. The next change was 29 Carnethies into and out of running gear in The Steading Car park. We headed off across Lothianburn Golf course and as we entered the Pentlands Park at the T wood the fast boys left us (Led by Andy F) and the rest of us ran along to the Dreghorn Valley and up Allermuir via the north face. We regularly regrouped to watch the "Carnethy Speed of Light" head torches of the fast boys speeding over the distant hills (head torches last night? it was daylight! in the snowy conditions). From the summit of Allermuir it was back via Caerketton where we were joined again by the fast group, with reports of a third group (the late girls, Heather and Lindsey) met at Castlelaw. Then it was a night replay of the Caerketton Doonhiller and back to the pub. The late non runners (Nigel and Shane) were there waiting and later Pete joined us and we all had a hearty meal. Nigel's food had already arrived and looked in some danger from the hungry hoardes. That made a total of 34 Carnethies out, 31 of them for a wonderfully snowy winter run. Willie Gibson |
| Wed 12th December 2012 |
 |
| A day and
night of 12 12 12 After the photo competition of 12:12:12 the night run of 12k enacted the 12 days of Christmas song, with tableaux inventively choreographed and photographed by Willy. Judging by the merriment of the crowd back in KB the camera lens wasn't too steamed up, fortunately as we'd have had to go and do it again. See the results here Digby |
| 21st November 2012 - Bonaly Night Run |
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| Bonaly
Night Run A wonderful cold clear night saw 30 Carnethies heading out from Bonaly. The three "slow so need a good start" girls headed off up the hill followed by the fast group of 10, 9 then 10 again. Then after waiting for the latecomers the rest of us headed off for Capelaw summit and Allermuir. A regroup running off Allermuir was a pleasant surprise but the one section of the crowd that avoided every one was Matt Grove, who managed to turn up so late that no one saw him till we were at the restaurant. Dante's did a good job of feeding and watering the 24 Carnethies that made it for afters. Five running questions were fired at the assembled eaters/drinkers with the promise of a free drink for those answering correctly. Bob Johnson read out the questions (with his usual brummie tone which annoys the hell out of me) and I was pleased to provide the free drinks as I've just moved some funds around and made a cool billion or two (and I'm not even sure what a billion is - Bob assures me it ten-to-the-nine but I haven't got a clue what he's on about - wasn't "Seven-of-nine" was that lovely girl on Star trek so maybe he's thinking about her again)... Anyway the questions (and answers) were as follows: i) Who holds the male record for the Ben Nevis race (Kenny Stewart, 1984,1:25:34) Winner=Graham Nash ii) Who holds the female record for the Ben race (Pauline Stewart, 1984,1:43:25) Winner=James Hardie iii) What was Pauline Stewart's maiden name? (Haworth) Winner=Keith Burns (Keith was staggered) iv) What the connection between the published route and "MacDonald"? (Windy Door Nick) Winner=Kath v) The Pentland Hills Ranger Service produce a bi-annual magazine - what is the name of that magazine? (Pentland Beacon) Winner=Win Rampen (James a close second with "Mohegan") Report by: LARRY GREW Thanks to Bob for a great night run. |
| 31st October 2012 - Flotterstone |
| Daleks, Battlefields, Test-tubes, Cars in ditches, Paranormal Activity, Sprained Ankles, Witches and Fireworks it must be the Carnethy Halloween Night Run |
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| Luckily the late arrivals added to the 13 runners setting off from Flotterstone, and as we approached the wooden bridge over Glencorse Burn the vision of smoke lights and a large Dalek was a surprise to most. |
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| Having avoided extermination we ploutered through the muddy fields to the Rullion Green Battlefield Memorial (info here) and then across the fields to the waterfall below Glen Cottage and a stop for some test tubes full of Whisky-Mac. |
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| Fuelled up we had
a failed attempt at extrication of Sam
Johnson's van from the ditch (the dangers
of Dalek delivery). With time running short the climb of Castlelaw was aborted for a dash across the firing range to Castlelaw Hill Fort and Earth House (info here) where we found the Earth house already occupied by the Local Paranormal Society! Cody is obviously a channel to the underworld as they exclaimed - "when the dog entered it spiked". |
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| Then
it was on to the woods and past the army
trenches (in a place with a far greater
paranormal feeling) to the Tyler Memorial
with a stop en-route to administer First
Aid to Lindsey Donald after turning her
ankle slipping off a treacherous tree
root. The memorial was the sight of a Woodhouselee Witches Coven in full spell casting mode, where luckily the cauldron was full of hot Glühwein which was dished out liberally. While one witch took care of the injured Lindsey, the rest of us returned via a wonderful Fireworks display and Castlelaw Carpark and on to The Flotterstone Inn for some well earned food and beer and a reunion with all the helpers and the injured. A great night was had by (almost) all. Our route |
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| Thanks to Bob and
Sam Johnson, Graham Nash, Cali Ingham,
Moira Stewart, Bob Waterhouse and Nick
Macdonald for all the entertainment. Willie Gibson |
